Manual Transmissions – Common Problems and Solutions

While over 95% of newly sold cars are now automatic, there are still manual vehicles around and people love them for giving more flexibility when driving. These are now considered sports-oriented cars rather than affordable vehicles.

But anyway, I decided to gather all the information that I've posted here, in this blog, about manual transmissions. What are their common problems? How long can they last? Every section of the article will also give you links for further investigation and more information.

Audi manual transmissions

While Audi implements automatic transmissions in all their new cars, there are still some older Audi models on the road offering total control over the vehicle with the help of their manual transmissions.

They are extremely reliable and live longer than many other units of your car. I haven't heard about manual transmission repairs in Audi vehicles prior to them hitting 200,000 miles or more. Also, scrapped cars are a good source of cheap replacement transmissions.

And still, there were common problems with manual gearboxes in Audi cars that usually appeared when the mileage of your car was really huge.

Audi manual transmissions highlights:

• Average lifespan:220,000-280,000 miles
• Reliability Score:High
• Prone to minor issues:No
• Price for repair after failure:$500-$1,000
• Price for replacement:$800-$2,500
• Availability of parts:Good
• Common problems:clutch failure, overloading issues, poor maintenance problems, aggressive use consequences.

Ford Fiesta ST manual transmission

The Fiesta ST was sold in Europe and was equipped with quite powerful engines. The last option was the 3-cylinder 1.5-liter EcoBoost. Of course, these cars were all equipped with manual transmissions.

Fortunately, the transmission was one of the last things that could fail in these vehicles. They were prepared for aggressive and sporty driving, so they didn't care much about minor mistakes drivers could make when using them.

The only serious problem is maintenance. If you forget to change the fluid or ignore clutch symptoms, the transmission may fail and require replacement rather than cheap repairs. It's good though that maintaining this transmission is many times cheaper than maintaining any automatic gearbox.

Ford Fiesta ST manual transmission highlights:

• Average lifespan:180,000-220,000 miles
• Reliability Score:High
• Prone to minor issues:Seldom
• Price for repair after failure:$700-$1,300
• Price for replacement:$1,200-$2,700
• Availability of parts:Average
• Common problems:clutch failure, overheating, issues when poorly maintained.

Jeep 6-speed manual transmission

The first Jeep's 6-speed manual transmission is the NSG370 model which was basically taken from Mercedes and installed into several Jeep models. This is a very successful project and owners are still very happy with the gearbox because it doesn't cause any serious issues.

It's interesting that you can drive your Jeep for 300,000 miles and experience zero problems with the transmission given you change fluid sometimes. Other than that, there is nothing that needs to be done except clutch replacement when it shows the first signs of issues.

I don't know any automatic transmission that can compete with this bulletproof technology in terms of quality and durability. So, there are barely any problems that can be mentioned here.

Jeep 6-speed manual transmission highlights:

• Average lifespan:250,000-300,000 miles
• Reliability Score:High
• Prone to minor issues:No
• Price for repair after failure:$500-$900
• Price for replacement:$1,200-$2,300
• Availability of parts:Average
• Common problems:clutch failure, hard shifting, noisy bearing at high mileage.

Manual transmission problems

While manual transmissions are way more reliable than automatic ones, they still can throw some surprises at you when you don't expect any issues.

First of all, there are problems with noisy work. Very often, it's all about bearings. Check if the noise goes away when you press the clutch - this may show you the exact bearing that is in trouble. Also, the noise may come from the main bearing and it won't react on pressing the clutch pedal at all.

Another common problem is when you physically can't engage any gear in your manual transmission. This means that either there is a problem with the mechanical part of your car, or there is an issue with the clutch. Also, shifter problems shouldn't be neglected. In this case, the best option is to take your car in for an inspection.

Stiff gears may also be a sign of upcoming problems. Sometimes, quick regulation will help, but often you will need to pay for some minor repairs.

Manual transmission problems highlights:

• Level of importance:High
• Prevention:Maintenance, careful driving
• Needed expertise:High
• Needed tools:Professional auto repair tools
• Time taken:5-10 hours
• Possible issues:Gear shifting problems, noisy work of bearings, clutch problems, shifter issues, shifting system problems.

Manual transmission use tips

When you drive a car equipped with a manual transmission, there are several things you need to remember.

First of all, manual cars will roll back if the gear is not engaged or the parking brake is not applied. Make sure you remember about that when parking your manual car on an incline.

It's also important to remember about the best time to shift gears. If you shift gears at the wrong time, you put a lot of load on your engine. Also, you make the transmission struggle to survive. So, learn about the optimal RPMs for shifting in different conditions.

From time to time, it's important to verify that the clutch is OK. Replacing the clutch on time will save your transmission from unnecessary stress.

Avoid grinding gears when shifting. For this, make sure that the clutch pedal is fully pressed when you shift the gears. Grinding is not that bad if made once occasionally. But on a regular basis, it will kill the gears.

And finally, don't forget about fluid changes. Manual transmissions don't need a lot of fluid and the change is usually quick and cheap. But without this procedure, the gearbox is under huge stress with poor lubrication and cooling.

Manual transmission use tips highlights:

• Level of importance:High
• Problem prevention:Maintenance, careful driving
• Needed expertise:No
• Needed tools:No tools
• Time taken:1-2 hours for practicing or learning
• Possible issues:Transmission failure, overloading, overheating, destroying gears, burning clutch.